5-at-10: Good times and top Christmas returns

5-at-10: Good times and top Christmas returns

Auburn cornerback Chris Davis (11) returns a missed field goal attempt 100-plus yards to score the game-winning touchdown as time expired in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against No. 1 Alabama in Auburn, Ala. Auburn won 34-28.

Auburn cornerback Chris Davis (11) returns a missed...

Photo by
Associated Press
/Times Free Press.

As we told you on Christmas, because we do what we do, we're here for the die-hard regulars, even on post-Christmas-Day 1 morning and on vacation (but don't tell the Mrs. 5-at-10, she frowns on such endeavors like working on vacation).

The 5-at-10 clan was mucho blessed and El Santa was muy bueno. Good times, and pass the nachos.

That said, let's do work - scratch that - let's do vacation activities. And remember the mailbag.

From the "Talks too much" studios, there are only 364 shopping days until Christmas.'

Christmas returns

As is our holiday/vacation tradition, we will substitute our regular five things with a single top-five list. Enjoy, and feel free to add yours.

We are adding to the excellent idea our ace TFP sports columnist Mark Wiedmer trotted out in this morning's sports section.

Weeds unloaded the top three ideas people would like to return in 2013. It's hard to argue with his list. We're going to skew in a different direction.

Let's do top five returns, in whatever shape:

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning smiles after throwing his fourth touchdown of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter in Houston. It was Manning's 51st touchdown pass of the season and set a new NFL record.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning smiles after throwing...

Photo by
Associated Press
/Times Free Press.

• 1. Chris Davis' 109-yard return against Alabama. You know the story and the setting. Wow. And we believe this will be the Stanford-Cal, trombone-game of this generation. It will be part of every lead-in montage before every big game for the next decade.

• 2. Peyton Manning. Yes he returned to the field last year. He returned to a level of excellence that very few know this year.

• 3. The ill-fated return to the court of Kobe Bryant. Bryant returned from a torn Achilles in less than eight months only to injure his knee. Bryant has said he will return, and expects it to be this year. It's doubtful with as many miles as Bryant has on his wearing wheels, he returns to the height of his prowess. Where does Kobe rank all-time? That's an interesting discussion, and one we may visit in the near future.

YouTube screenshot of New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera making his final appearance ever at Yankee Stadium.

YouTube screenshot of New York Yankees closer Mariano...

• 4. The return of No. 42 to history of MLB, and the way the Yankees walked Mariano Rivera into the lore of the game was priceless, with Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte coming to the mound to pull Rivera, who broke down and started crying. It was one of the moments that makes us all remember why we love sports in the first place. Here's the youtube video.

• 5. It was a running play and not a return, but we are sure Nebraska coach Bo Pelini would like to return to the warm and fuzzy moments of the Cornhuskers spring game when 7-year-old, cancer patient Jack Hoffman scored on a 69-yard run. Here's the video and Merry Christmas.